PDA

View Full Version : diatom


bigfish52
06/05/2007, 06:19 PM
My 75g FOWLR tank has finally cycled but the ugly brown diatoms started taking over on Sunday. Every evening when I get home, it looks a little worse. I've added 7 snails but I think I need more. How many more should I get, and what kinds? How long can I expect the tank to look like this? Thanks for your help!

kevin2000
06/05/2007, 06:32 PM
Diatoms are a natural part of tank maturation ... your clean up crew should clear this up with a bit of patience.

EdKruzel
06/05/2007, 06:39 PM
A 75 can hold ten times the snails, however you need to have patience. Being it is a new tank and without corals, I would suggest first turning off the lights and keeping them off until the cycle is finished and the tank begins to stabilize. The rock will actually be healthier if allowed to cycle without light.

Diatoms are currently feeding on the excess silicates in the water and once that is depleted or at least to respectable levels the diatoms will continue for a short time. The cycle begins with excess food, giving the diatoms the energy to breed into the plague you have now. As their food source lessens, they begin to die off, however that places more silicates back into the water column for the cycle to start over. You need to break the cycle; like common algae light assists to complete the energy source. Going without any intensity of light (especially in the higher nm range 500+) will slow the process. Next you'll need to conduct a series of small water changes and vacuum as much of the diatoms from the surface areas as possible. There will always be some diatoms and silicates in the water, but providing you have a healthy stable system, you'll never know they're there.

bigfish52
06/05/2007, 06:55 PM
ok...lights out, more snails. Which are the best kinds to get? Should I do a water change now or wait? Current parameters are:
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrate 0
Ph 7.8
Salinity 33
Temp 80.8

I've just turned off the lights, they were on all day. Thanks again for the help!

SWpsycho
06/06/2007, 06:30 PM
I'd get turbos, astreas, ceriths, and nassurius (depending on how deep your sand is.) You can also get a small conch to munch around on stuff on the sand.

mwwhite
06/06/2007, 06:42 PM
What's your salinity?

bertoni
06/06/2007, 07:11 PM
Blooms like this are common in new tanks, so I'd just ignore it, personally. Turning the lights off will help improve the looks of the tank. You might or might not be seeing diatoms. More likely, it is a mixture of various types of microbes.